cat·kin (k t k n)n. A usually dense, cylindrical, often drooping cluster of unisexual apetalous flowers found in willows, birches, and oaks. Also called ament1. [From obsolete Dutch katteken, kitten, diminutive of katte, cat (from its resemblance to a kitten's tail), from Germanic *kattuz.] |
catkin [ˈkætkɪn]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) an inflorescence consisting of a spike, usually hanging, of much reduced flowers of either sex: occurs in birch, hazel, etc. Also called ament
[from obsolete Dutch katteken kitten, identical in meaning with French chaton, German Kätzchen]
| catkin (ktkn) A long, thin, indeterminate inflorescence of tiny, petalless flowers growing on willows, birches, oaks, poplars, and certain other trees. The flowers on a catkin are either all male or all female. The female flowers are usually pollinated by the wind. Also called ament. See illustration at inflorescence. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  catkin - a cylindrical spikelike inflorescenceinflorescence - the flowering part of a plant or arrangement of flowers on a stalk |
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